Don t Mow It GROW IT!

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2 Don t Mow It GROW IT! Operation Habitat is IDOT s program to investigate opportunities to create, preserve or protect habitat areas on our rights-of-way, specifically to provide food sources and shelter for the monarch butterfly, rusty patched bumblebee and other pollinators. We re doing WHAT?? For BUTTERFLIES?????????

3 How do we get from here...

4 ... to here? But, that looks like weeds!

5 To a pollinator this... = Looks like this

6 May 2017 New Mowing Policy Mow only one pass 15 ft. safety strip along the roadway Mow for vision clearance at intersections and other safety sensitive areas Final mowing delayed until September 15 in the north and until October 1 in the south

7 Can an endangered bumble bee shut down a project???

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10 Adopt-A-Planter project, planting day Central Office, Springfield, IL Planters are now a registered monarch waystation!

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12 Monarch raising project Central Office, Springfield IL

13 Monarch Raising Project Central Office, Springfield IL Two monarchs in chrysalis

14 Operation Habitat booth IDOT tent Illinois State Fair

15 24 Monarch Waystations certified in FY17 Central Office Hanley Building District 2 Willow Creek rest area south bound Willow Creek rest area north bound Turtle Creek rest area Long Hollow Scenic Overlook District 3 Great Sauk Trail rest area west bound Great Sauk Trail rest area east bound Main Line Station rest area south bound Main Line Station north bound Limestone rest area south bound Limestone rest area north bound Three Rivers rest area west bound Three Rivers rest area east bound District 3 Headquarters District 4 Mackinaw Dells rest area west bound Spoon River rest area west bound Spoon River rest area east bound US 150 Princeville Jubilee Wayside District 5 Salt Kettle rest area Farmland rest area west bound Farmland rest area east bound Illini Prairie rest area north bound District 6 Coalfield rest area north bound Coalfield rest area south bound

16 Why??? Education!!!

17 Theme?

18 Partner! Partner! Partner!

19 US 45 Ford County IDOT Pheasants Forever Cooperative Restoration Project

20 Presented at Fall Operations Meeting Partnered with Bees Forever Presented at IL Farm Bureau State Meeting Presented at District Construction meetings Presented at District mowing meetings What has IDOT done in the last 12 months to increase awareness and build habitat on right-of-way? Tagged 65 Monarchs Created Right-of-Way as Habitat Committee Displayed kid-art posters at rest areas Presented at THE Conference Created Operation Habitat Awarded 1 st Pollinator Rehab contract on June letting Nominated for NAPPC Pollinator Roadside Management Award Conducting pollinator seed mix testing as part of Energy Crop Production research project Participated in 12 Illinois Monarch Project meetings and 5 ROW Sector meetings Adopt-A-Planter contest Created Seeding CL 5C Monarch and Pollinator Mixture Monarch raising project Secured new FY18 Certified 24 budget item for Monarch Pollinator Habitat Waystations Restoration and Coordinated CCAA Preservation efforts for monarch Conducted milkweed Presented at APWA counts on right-of-way Produced 10,000 native seed packets Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work presentation Brown Bag Lunch presentation Partnered with Canadian National Railroad Presented at IAHE (Illinois Association of Highway Engineers) Restored Intergovernmental Agreement with IDNR to provide seedlings, native plants and seed Created Operations Pollinator Task Force Awarded Pheasants Forever Habitat Partner of the Year Partnered with Pheasants Forever / Quail Forever Partnered with Living Lands and Waters Red Bison Project Presented at INPS Released 75 Monarchs Presented at Right-of-Way as Habitat Working Group Partnered with Ameren Displayed monarch and pollinator info at rest areas Purchased disks, drills and other equipment to convert ROW to habitat Sector Leaders for Illinois Monarch Project Worked Operation Habitat booth at the Illinois state fair Landscape For Life documentary Represented IDOT on ROW sector of MAFWA plan Planted over 200 acres via co-op projects Created Interchange Exchange Mitigation for Local Agencies Issued new mowing policy Presented at Project Implementation Conference Participated in joint monarch meeting with IDNR, Il Dept. of Ag. and IEPA Established award criteria for Pollinator Habitat Restoration funding

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23 Contact Information Stephanie Dobbs, Roadside Maintenance Manager Office of Highways Project Implementation Bureau of Operations (217)

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29 Credits Claus Rasmussen vernal and carpenter bee photos USFWS Xerces Society I35-Highway.com Monarch Joint Venture FHWA Pheasants Forever IDNR INHS MonarchWatch.org University of Illinois Extension Photo: W. Caldwell Illinois State Museum Illinois Department of Agriculture